There have been some big snowfalls in South America And New Zealand ahead of the start of the 2016 ski season in the southern hemisphere.
New Zealand ski areas have seen repeated heavy snowfalls over the past fortnight with some now having received more than a metre of snow. Mt Hutt looks likely to be the first southern hemisphere ski area to open, next Friday 10th June, and is reporting it will open all lifts and runs on opening day with one of its best season starts in years. Other NZ ski areas Cardrona and Coronet Peak will open the next day.
Across the Pacific there’s been heavy snow in South America over the past week with Portillo in Chile reporting more than 2m/7 feet of snow. Ski areas there are scheduled to open a week later but some say they may now open early.
Elsewhere in the southern hemisphere Afriski in Lesotho and Tiffindell in South Africa have officially started their winter season and have had natural snowfalls and are snowmaking but say they don’t yet have enough to open their slopes – they’re also targeting the weekend of the 11th/12.
That is also when ski areas in Australia will open, from the Queen’s Birthday long weekend holiday there. They’ve also had natural snowfalls and are snowmaking.
Meanwhile ski areas in Canada, Norway, Austria, France and Italy are re-opening for summer glacier skiing in the northern hemisphere over the coming fortnight.
